Estes Park News

Businesses were forever changed by the flood

By Zach Clemens

Trail-Gazette

Posted:
09/17/2018 10:08:26 AM MDT

Once the chaos had subsided and the waters receded, there was still massive amounts of damage to roads, homes and businesses. It was immediately apparent that the economy of Estes Park was going to take a big hit from the flood in 2013.

This galvanized the newly formed Estes Park Economic Development Corporation (EDC) into working hard to help flood victims with applying for and receiving disaster relief.

"It gave us an opportunity to really focus on priorities," said Estes Park EDC President Jon Nicholas. "We needed to get a second staffer on board to help with flood recovery."

In March 2014, the Estes Park EDC was able to gain funding through grants for that staffer, but the first step was SBA loans, which came within weeks of the flood. Supplementing those loans were Recover Colorado Business Grants, which as of early July, there were 137 business grants awarded in Larimer County totaling over $3 million, and according to Nicholas, a "vast majority" were in Estes Park. They were also able to obtain tourism marketing grants, totaling over $270,000 that provided support during the closures on U.S. 34.

"Having a dedicated staffer working on these made a big difference," Nicholas said.

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All businesses in Estes Park were impacted by the flood waters, and not just if they took in water. The Historic Stanley Hotel was not immune to this natural disaster, and according to Stanley owner John Cullen, when the flood hit the Stanley had been preparing for months for a visit from Irish dignitaries, which included the great granddaughter of the famed Lord Dunraven. There were also two simultaneous weddings at that time.

"Once the flood happened and the world got disconnected, everyone had to come together to support one another," Cullen said.

One of those brides couldn't get her wedding dress delivered, and the descendant of Lord Dunraven loaned her one of her own dresses, so she could still be a beautiful bride.

"Even though the world outside was a disaster zone, there was a spirit of camaraderie and of people coming together, it became this amazing embodiment of the human spirit and community," Cullen said. "When I saw this dignitary giving a dress to a distressed bride, I knew we were going to be able to get through this."

Cullen said he realized they were all in this situation together, and working together could keep all their spirits high. This was exemplified when Cullen offered to have a Rotary meeting at the Stanley, where community members could gather shortly after the flood. He was told there would be about 150 people there, but that number kept rising as the hours got closer, eventually expanding to 1,100 people.

The Stanley Hotel parking lot was jam packed that night, with cars parked all the way to Stanley Village. So many people showed up that the staff didn't have enough food for everyone. Cullen remembers going through freezers and thawing hot dogs to feed all the guests.

"What was amazing about it was that there were people in the community who hadn't seen each other for months or even years, and this post-flood meet-up became a multi generational town reunion party," Cullen said. "The town was able to find joy in the face of adversity."

Cullen said that he learned three big things from the flood. The first was that there was a stronger affinity for the Stanley than he could have ever imagined. Guests, including big groups and weddings, offered to help by rebooking instead of cancelling. "It kept the hotel from going under."

The second was that there needs to be much more than a summer season in Estes Park that is very dependant on weather. This spawned a much more dynamic offer from the Stanley. They began working on wellness initiatives and outdoor adventure, and this planted the seeds for Stanley Live, which has become which has become a leading year-round attraction for the whole town.

The third thing Cullen realized was the importance of investing in the community. This meant moving all staff and mangers to Estes Park. The hotel is now planning to add 64 new staff and student housing units, to make it easier and more cost-effective to live in Estes. It is a testament to Cullen's dedication to this mountain town.

The flood waters didn't discriminate between which businesses they impacted, and all were changed in some form or another. What was washed away has come back mountain strong.

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